Ligabue

Rock singer-songwriter Luciano Ligabue is known throughout Europe as the Italian Bruce Springsteen. ∙ In 1987, Ligabue won an unsigned-band contest and used the prize money to record his debut single, “Bar Mario.” ∙ His 1994 singalong anthem “Certe Notti” was not only certified double Platinum, but it was also voted Italian Song of the ’90s by readers of the music magazine Tutto. ∙ All but one of his 15 studio albums released between 1995 and 2019 have topped the Italian charts, including 2010’s Diamond-certified Arrivederci, Mostro! ∙ Ligabue participated in Luciano Pavarotti’s 1996 Bosnian orphan charity concert in Modena, Italy, along with such superstars as Elton John and Eric Clapton. ∙ Since 1998, he’s pursued a side-career as a filmmaker, writing and directing three movies and participating on the jury at the 2009 Venice International Film Festival. ∙ He set a European attendance record when he performed in front of 180,000 fans at Campovolo, a 2005 festival that he organized.